Spelt and Strawberry Cake

The spelt and strawberry cake is a rustic and delicious variant of traditional desserts. Spelt gives the cake a fuller texture and a slightly more nutritious flavor compared to traditional flour. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 250 g of spelt flour
• 100 g of brown sugar (or white sugar if you prefer)
• 100 ml of seed oil or light olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 sachet of baking powder for desserts
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence (or the seeds of a vanilla pod)
• 300 g of fresh strawberries
• Powdered sugar (for decoration, optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and butter and flour a cake pan, or line it with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, sift the spelt flour with the baking powder and a pinch of salt.
3. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until frothy and light.
4. Add the oil and vanilla essence to the egg and sugar mixture, mixing well.
5. Gradually incorporate the sifted flour into the liquid mixture, mixing gently until you have a smooth batter.
6. Cut the strawberries into not too small pieces and gently fold half of them into the batter with a spatula.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and distribute the remaining strawberries on the surface.
8. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Let the cake cool in the pan, then turn it out onto a serving plate.
10. If desired, decorate with powdered sugar before serving.

To add an all-Italian touch to this cake, you could garnish with a sprinkle of grated lemon zest or add chopped almonds to the batter, which pairs well with strawberries.

Curiosity

Spelt was one of the first cereals cultivated in history, and its cultivation dates back to 10,000 years ago. In Italy, especially in Tuscany, the cultivation of spelt has a long history and continues to be highly prized for its nutritional qualities and distinctive flavor.

Enjoy your meal and have fun experimenting with this healthy and tasty cake!